TriNcess

  I scramble to the walk-in closet to find Drusil, who's now in a silky cey nightdress, which does absolutely nothing to stop me from flinging myself at her and wrapping my arms around her.

  "DRUSILLA! I'M A GIRL! A REAL GIRL!"

  I might be crying. Too busy hugging the cool, literally and figuratively, vampire to care. She's looking down at me with an amused expression, like it was obvious to anyone but me. Which I don't know, it might have been, but like, I'm a real girl! Boobs, vagina, tail? and everything! Then it dawns on me. The bag I have must be Strax's bag of holding! IT HAS DRESSES! I'm sure my eyes just did the thing cats do when they get zoomies, but I run off and find it and start turning it inside out.

  Which, in hindsight, might have been a mistake. I forgot Strax was a bit of a klepto. Let's see here.. bones, more bones, deer skull, buttons, OH NO BRUCE! Well, cage with a dead scorpion in it, bunch of candles, animal colr, huh, let's put that on. Hmmm, ratty clothes, book with missing pages, silverware, toss that, a shield? Why does Strax have a shield? Soap, toss that, oh my chest of shiny math rocks! Vial of something, so many bags of seeds, shity dress, boring dress, YES! MY PRINCESS DRESS! I start trying to get it on when I'm lifted by my armpits. Oh yeah.

  "Uhm. Hi. I found my clothes?"

  Her head is tilted slightly to the side, and I think she might be frowning.

  "What, in the name of the Divines, have you done to my floor?"

  "Oh. Well, uhm I have this bag that's bigger on the inside, and I turned it inside out to check what survived? I'll clean it up, I promise! I just wanted to see if I had my dresses! And look! My princess dress!"

  I shake it a little bit for emphasis. Was that a sigh? What. It's not that much stuff. Just. Knick knacks.

  "Strax." She sets me down and takes my dress. Nuuuuh. "Clean this up now. You can do this tomorrow. I will not have a mess on my floor."

  Yeah, that is fair. I sit down and maybe grumble a bit as I start putting stuff back into the bag. Huh, neat. That's a jar of fming roses. Ooooh.

  "Strax. Get to it."

  "Yes!"

  That better have been my usual 'distracted by fire' and not Strax's 'distracted by fire'. I do not need Strax's traits in my life, Saints. It takes a little bit, but eventually I finish with a bit more grumbling, and she's still holding my dress when I give her my best impression of a puppy that's been starved. She pces the dress over the back of a chair before picking me up again and makes her own way onto her bed and ys us down, tucking my head into the crook between her neck and shoulders. Oh, this is really a lot comfier than I thought it'd be. She starts stroking my back, and sleep creeps up on me before I realize it.

  ***

  I wake up alone in the bed. Or well, mostly alone. There's a warm, sort of rotund leathery thing that I've curled myself around. Huh. Is that the fppy eyeball creature? Drusil is hunched over her desk, scribbling and reading something. She's changed into some sort of dark leather with what looks like mail yered atop it, and her hair is braided into a long ponytail of some sort. The ball at my stomach shifts a little, and I sit up and start petting it. While it doesn't make any noise, it does sort of... vibrate...?

  "Yes, yes, that's a good Batsy. You're a very good stomach warmer."

  That seems to settle it as it stops shifting.

  "Strax! You're awake. How long have you been staring? Also Batsy?"

  Urgh. She's smiling. A full-faced smile. I could make a fortune selling pictures of that smile.

  I point at the ball of leather curled in my p. "Batsy. It sort of looks like a bat? I just woke up though."

  "Precious, that's a night wisp, not a bat. They're not even remotely simir. Night wisps almost pure mana. I didn't even realize they had a personality until that one met you."

  "I guess? I don't know; it has bat wings and likes cuddling; that's good enough for me. So what're you doing? Or what are we doing with me today, I guess?"

  "Hmm. I was preparing for things that might be happening today. As for you?"

  She hands me the pretty shiny dress I found yesterday, and I almost squish Batsy in my hurry to get out of bed. Almost. Can't squish the cute little ball of warmth. After I get dressed, Drusil grabs me by the hands and pulls me along.

  "If we're going to get you casting, we've got work to do. It's been a while since I taught anyone, but I'm sure we'll make it work."

  Not sure if I trust that smile. Her fangs are peeking out and looking a little too... fangy...